Friday, May 9, 2014

READING, MATH, AND HAPPIE STICKS

Comprehension Sticks – Write “Who?” “What?” “Where?” “When?” “Why?” on sticks and insert them in a sock. Throw the sock over your shoulder before reading to prompt the children to be active listeners. After reading the story, let children choose a stick and tell that part. *You could also write “author, illustrator, title, beginning, middle, end” or “characters, setting, problem, solution.”

Happie Sticks - Write special things children can do if they finish their work early on sticks. Children can choose one at a time and do the activity. For example: make a book, play a computer game, read a story, do a job for your teacher, play a board game, make something in the art center, etc. Reward Sticks - Instead of tangible rewards, let children choose a stick with a non-tangible reward on it. For example: sit at the teacher’s desk, take off your shoes, no homework, 15 minutes of free time, chew sugar-free gum, sit by a special friend, choose a game for the class to play, etc.

“Fiddle” Stick – Tie a 20” piece of string to a stick. Explain that if their hands get fidgety, they can use their fiddlestick to release wiggles. Demonstrate how to wind up the string and then unwind the string. Beats poking and picking! Math Sticks - Use the sticks for making sets, counting, tally, addition and subtraction, creating shapes, and so forth.